Closure means for milk churns



S. HOLE July 29, 1924.

CLOSURE MEANS FOR MILK CHURNS 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 21 i Fig.1.

July 29, 1924. 1,502,673

S. HOLE CLOSURE MEANS FOR MILK CHURNS Filed June 21 1922 2 Sheets$heet 2Patented Jul -g9, 1924.

UNITED STATES SIDNEY HOLE, OF HASSOGKS, ENGLAND.

CLOSURE MEANS FOR MILK CHURIN'S.

Application filed June 21, 1922. Serial No. 669,850.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY HOLE, a subect of the King of England,residing at llasso-cks, Sussex, En land, have -,invented certain new anduse 111 Improvements in Closure Means for Milk Churns, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to closure means formilk churns.

As is well known, the closure means commonly employed for milk churnsfrequently works loose so that the closin lid becomes detached from thechurn, and few, if any, of them are fluid-tight.

According to the present invention, the closure means for the milk churncomprises a lid which co-operates with the mouth portion of the vesselto be closed, one of these parts being a male element and the other afemale element, characterized by the male element having in its engagingsurface two parallel circumferential grooves, the female element havingin its engaging surface a groove which re isters with that groove whichis second rom the entering end of the male element, and a ring ofelastic material such as rubber, preferably of circular cross-sectionplaced in the first groove of said male element, the said ring andgrooved parts being of such dimensions that when the lid is forced intoposition, the ring will roll from the first groove into the secondgroove where it will engage the groove in the female element and serveto key the two parts together.

Preferably, the entering portion of the lid has a flange below thegrooves nearest the entering end which is of a larger diameter than thepart situated between the grooves to prevent displacement of the rubberring from the said end when the lid is bein removed, and a single grooveis provided in the mouth of the churn which registers, when the lid isin the closing position, with that groove farthest from the en-- teringend of the lid.

A further feature of this invention consists in making provision for theinsertion of levers between the mouth of the churn and an overhangingportion of the lid, for example the usual outwardly directed flange, sothat the lid can be levered off the churn.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing closure means ofthe kind set forth above characterized by one or more concealedspring-catches carried by the lid or within the mouth of the vessel,each catch having a shouldered cam-portion, by the other element, saythe mouth of the vessel, having a circumferential lip so situated anddimensioned that as the lid is pushed into position the said lip willhave slidin engagement with the cam-portions o the catches until itbecomes locked behind the shouldered portions thereof, and by recessesprovided in the lid or vessel or both, whereby one or more implementscan be introduced to thrust back the spring-catches when the lid is tobe released.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one method of carrying outthis invention as applied to a milk churn,

Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the top of a churn, andhalf of the lid is also shown in central vertical section, the partsbeing in the position they occupy prior to the closure being effected;

Figure 2 shows the same parts in section as in Figure 1, but in theclosed position;

Figure 3 is a vertical section through one side of a churn and its lid,illustrating on a large; scale a detail shown in Figures 1 and 2, an

Figure 4 is a face View of the side portion of the lid carrying alocking device.

Like reference letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

The usual churn bod is indicated at A, and the mouth portion is flaredsomewhat after the usual manner. At the smaller portion of this flaredmouth a groove B is provided, and above the groove is a lip B whichrestricts the throughway of the mouth to a proximately the same diameteras that of t e part B which lies below the groove.

The lid C is of tapered construction, and has a central well, and inthis respect is similar to churn lids at resent employed, but the part Cis ma e approximately parallel and contains two circumferential groovesC and C respectively. The groove C is toward what may be called theleading end of the lid, as it is that end which enters first when thelid is applied, and beyond the groove is a flange C which is made aslarge in diameter as possible to prevent accidental detachment of arubber ring D which operates in the grooves C C When the lid is about tobe ap lied, the parts take the position shown in igure 1, that is thering D lies in the lower groove C nearest the leading end of the lid,and when the lid is laid loosely in position the ring will bear a ainstthe lip B If now the lid 1s forcibly riven down the ring D w1ll bedistorted and will roll between the engaging surfaces of the lid and themouth of the churn so that it will pass out of the groove G into thegroove C, and at the same time will roll over the lip B", into thegroove B of the churn. In this dposition 1t will serve as a key to holdthe li firmly n position, and as it is sufficiently large 1n diameter torather more than fill the grooves (l and B, it will be undercompression, and will thus make a fluid-tight joint between the lid andthe mouth of the churn.

The lid has an outwardly turned flange E which bears against the top ofthe churn and thus limits the degree of downward movement, and for manypurposes the ring affords all the necessary security for the lid, infact it has been found that the churn can be lifted by the handleFwithout any displacing action of the ring D taking place to release thelid. To enable the lid to be withdrawn, lateral recesses E are providedin its edge attwo opposite points, so that short levers can be insertedtherein and the lid can be prised up sufficiently to roll the rubberring D back into the groove C and out of the groove B The parts willthen again be in the position shown in Figure 1 and the lid can belifted free of the churn. The flange C is intended to prevent accidentaldisplacement of the rubber ring from the lid when the lid is off thechurn.

If further locking of the lid is required, the mouth of the churn may beprovided with an internal lip G which is continuous round the mouth, andthe lid may carry spring-catches in the form of locking tongues H forco-operation with this lip. It will be seen that when the lid is in theclosin position as shown in Figure 2, shoulders l l on the springtongues lie beneath the lip G and thus positively lock the lid againstremoval but the tongues are placed opposite the recesses E and extendbeyond the lip G into these recesses so that when the levers for prisingup the lid are introduced, the tongues can be pressed back to free theshoulders H from the lip G, and then the lid can be prised up as alreadydescribed.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a milk churn of the character described, the combination of a bodyportion in the form of a can, a lid having a cylindrical wall adapted toenter with play into the mouth of the body portion, and having twoparallel circumferential grooves separated by a rib, whereof the firstgroove is nearer to and the second groove is more remote from theentering-end of the lid, the said mouth of the can having an internalperipheral groove arranged to re 'ster with the said second groove w enthe id is in its closed position, and an elastic closure ring seated inthe first groove in the lid prior to applying the lid and movable oversaid rib into the second groove and adapted to enter, in the closedposition of the lid, said internal groove, the said ring and groovesbeing of such dimensions that when the lid is forced into its-closedposition, the rin will roll from the first roove'in the lid 1nto thesecond where it wi 1 en age said internal groove and serve to key t elid in its closed position, said lid further having below the firstgroove a flange of a diameter substantially larger than that of saidrib, which flange serves to prevent displacement of the closure ringfrom off the bottom of the lid when the can is being opened and when thelid is off.

2. In a receptacle, the combination of an element constituting the bodyportion thereof, a second element constituting a lid having acylindrical wall adapted to enter with play into the mouth of the bodyportion and having two parallel circumferential grooves separated by arib whereof the first groove is nearer to and the second groove is moreremote from the entering-end of the lid, the said mouth of the canhaving an internal peripheral groove arranged to register with the saidsecond groove when the lid is in its closing position, and an elasticclosure ring seated in the first groove in the lid prior to applying thelid, and movable over said rib into the second groove and adapted toenter, in the closing position of the lid, into said internal groove,the said ring and grooves being of such dimensions that when.

the lid is forced into its closing position, the ring will roll from thefirst groove in the lid into the second where it will engage saidinternal groove and serve to key the lid in its closing position, saidlid having below the first groove a second rib of a diameter larger thanthat of said rib, which second rib serves to prevent displacement of theclosure ring from off the bottom of the lid when the can is beingopened, one of said elements having a continuous peripheral lip, and aspring-catch mounted on the other of said elements and arrangedautomatically to engage said lip in the closing position of the lid, andone of said elements having a recess opposite to the said catch for theinsertion of an implement for disengaging the catch from the said lip.

3. In a receptacle, the combination of an element constituting the bodyportion thereof, a second element constituting a lid having acylindrical wall adapted to enter with play into the mouth of bodyportion, and having two parallel circumferential grooves separated by arib, whereof the first groove is nearer to and the second groove is moreremote from the entering-end of thelid, the said mouth of the can havingan internal peripheral groove arranged to re ister with the said secondgroove when the id is IlII IltS closing position, and an elastic closurering seated in the first groove in the lid prior to applying the lid,and movable over said rib into the second groove and adapted to enter,in the closing position of the lid, into said internal groove, the saidring and grooves,

being of such dimensions that when the lid is forced into its closingposition, the ring will roll from the first oove in the lid into thesecond where it wi engage said internal groove and serve to key the 11din its closing position, said lid having below the first groove a secondrib of a diameter larger than that of the first said rib, which secondrib serves to, prevent dis lacement of the closure ring from off theottom of the lid when the can is being opened, the mouth of said bodyportion having a continuous internal peripheral lip, spring-catches,each having a shouldered cam-portion, carried by the lid and arrangedautomatically to engage said li with the cam-portions when the lid ispus ed into its closing position and lock the lid against removal, oneof said elements having recesses, one opposite each spring-catch, forthe insertion of an implement for disengaging the catches from said lip.

4. In a milk churn of the character described, the combination of avessel having a mouth portion in the form of a cone, a lid having acylindrical wall adapted to lie concentrically with said mouth portion,which said mouth portion and lid constitute one a male element andtheother a female element cooperating therewith, which male element hastwo arallel circumferential grooves separated y a rib, whereof the firstgroove is nearer to and the second groove is more remote from theentering-end of the male element, said female element having an internalperipheral channel in the form of a groove arranged to register withsaid second groove when the lid is in its closed position, and anelastic closure ring seated in the first groove in the male elementprior to applying the lid and movable over said rib into the secondgroove and adapted to enter, in the closed position of the lid, saidchannel, the said ring and grooves being of such dimensions that whenthe lid is forced into its closed position, the ring will roll from thefirst groove in the male element into the second where it will engagesaid channel and serve to key the lid in its closed position, said maleelement further having at the entering side of the first groove a flangeof a diameter larger than said rib for preventlliig displacement of theclosure ring from o the entering-end of the male element when the can isbeing opened and when the lid is off.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. SIDNEY HOLE.

